Comparative Analysis of Representations of Women in Nazrul's "Woman", "Man," "Poverty" and Shakespeare's Hamlet and The Tempest

Abstract

This paper explores Comparative analysis of the representations of women in Kazi Nazrul's "Woman"," Man" and Poverty", and William Shakespeare's drama Hamlet and The Tempest. The study examines how women are shown in socio political, cultural and literary frameworks of two distinct eras: early 20th century in colonial Bengal and Elizabethan England. Nazrul’s poems challenge patriarchal norms by addressing women's sufferings as a consequence of poverty and systemic oppression, presenting them as resilient yet constrained by societal barriers. Conversely, Shakespeare's Hamlet and The Tempest present contrasting pictures of women, ranging from Ophelia's fragility, Gertrude's indecisiveness and victimhood to Miranda's innocence, not racing her voice in her father's colonial behavior. The analysis draws attention how the authors, despite their differing cultural and temporal contexts, interrogate gender roles and power dynamics. This research employs feminist theory to examine how women’s voices and agency are represented or marginalized. By juxtaposing Nazrul’s socially conscious poetry with Shakespeare’s dramatic exploration of female characters, the study underscores the universal themes of gender inequality, and the intersection of power, poverty, and patriarchy. The findings reveal both commonalities and divergences in their literary approaches, offering insights into evolving perceptions of women across different literary traditions.